That diamond is long gone! I'm back and hopefully writing a bit more now. Atlanta is getting into su...
That diamond is long gone! I'm back and hopefully writing a bit more now. Atlanta is getting into summer so methinks it'll be warm here for the next 5 months or so. After the cold winter I'm ready for it!
Member since:05.09.2003
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As far as Australian landscapes go, the Sydney Harbour goes down as being one of the most iconic and familiar, close behind Uluru and of course, the Sydney Opera House, which goes hand in hand with the harbour. The Harbour is a natural wonder and is undeniably the jewel in the crown of Sydney, and is basically the centrepiece of the city upon which all else is focussed open. The famous Bridge crosses it, the Opera House faces it, and hundreds of thousands of people live along or near it. And until now, I had never really experienced it.
The problem I face with Sydney is getting there. It?s a good 2000 kilometre round-trip whichever way you decide to do it. This time around instead of driving, we took the train (we being Valerie and I, since she was down for a holiday just very recently) from Melbourne to Sydney, which was ultimately regrettable. 11 hours of travelling through pastoral land is normally conducive to sleep, but of course you can?t do that when the seats don?t extend horizontally, so we managed to pass the time by alternately staring out the window, playing hangman and trying to nap.
Obviously
this is a review about the Harbour, not Sydney itself, but that was just a background as to why I had not been to Sydney very often. It?s been a good 6 or 7 years and the last time we came, I didn?t even see the harbour since we were on the way through to Brisbane. In the car. Bah! Obviously the big problem with this country is everything is spread so far apart ? but enough excuses!
Port Jackson, as the official name of the harbour reads, is basically the ultimate harbour. It is more than capacious enough for large shipping to travel through, though they prefer Newcastle or Wollongong since most industry is concentrated around these cities. It has plenty of beautiful beaches, often hidden in little coves and bays, and the coastline meanders its way through beautiful stretches of coastal forest, which has led to the creation of Sydney Harbour National Park, which has little bits and pieces along the coast. The waters are generally calm, except at times around the Gap, where the harbour lets out to the Tasman Sea. This means that at any given time, and especially on weekends, all sorts of pleasure craft are out and about, mostly little sailboats and skiffs and sometimes larger yachts, and of course waterskis and speedboats.
The colour of the water is something which is immediately noticeable, a stunning azure which is a nice contrast to the bland grey-green of Port Phillip Bay, and as I was told on many occasions, the crappy hue of the Atlantic Ocean. The eastern coastline of Australia where the Pacific Ocean laps up on the beaches is, of course, the reason for this ? the water is the same bright blue all the way up, from the coastal resorts down south, to the Gold Coast and the Barrier Reef up north. It is certainly more pleasing on the eyes and is rather more inviting, either to look at or to have a bit of a swim, or even to take the boat out if you have the means to own one. Obviously plenty of people in Sydney do, because the various little bays and coves are dotted with the masts of yachts and other boats.
The best way to see the harbour is obviously to take a cruise around and see everything there is to see (well, most of the good bits anyway). We took one of the many cruises which depart from Circular Quay (and that is pronounced ?key?, dammit!) on a beautiful, sunny winter morning (something regretfully rare in fickle Melbourne). Circular Quay is dominated by the twin aspects of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which looks like an impressive bird cage, and the jumbled seashells of the Opera House, conceived in a mad vision by Joern Utzon and somehow completed with human engineering, rather than with the aid of alien lifeforms. These two edifices are obviously good for many a happy snap, and the lovely weather almost hindered more than aided, with the brilliant sunshine beating down on the water and shimmering off it.
Most cruises last for either one or two hours, and there are several companies offering all sorts of variations including coffee, lunch or dinner, with the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure. We took the straight two-hour cruise, which winds its way along the southern, upmarket beaches and bays, including Woollomooloo (say that ten times fast!), Rushcutter Bay, Double Bay, which is especially cosy and prestigious, and of course bloody expensive ? especially some of the mansions along Potts Point, which go for staggering sums. There is also Rose Bay and finally, Watson?s Bay, before we go across the mouth of the Harbour to the south side of Manly, famous for its long and beautiful ocean beach. Having spent an afternoon there, I can say with some certainty it has earned its reputation!
The boat also stops at Taronga Zoo, the catchline for which is that it is the zoo with the greatest view in the world. I don?t know if I can dispute that or not, but when a zoo markets on the merits of its view rather than its contents, I don?t know that I terribly need to see it (especially since Melbourne?s zoo is apparently one of the best in the world).
Darling Harbour is another famous landmark in the harbour, with its myriad of shops and rows of restaurants along King?s Wharf, not to mention many tourist-oriented exhibitions and landmarks like the Aquarium (which is very good) and the IMAX theatre. It?s definitely worth a day there, but be prepared to part with a bit of money!
The natural beauty of the harbour is hard to ignore. The startling colour of the water and the many indentations, lovely little canary-yellow beaches and the ostentatious housing catch the eye at every turn, means a couple of hours spent on the harbour is of one the nicer ways to relax, especially when basking in sun. Any visitor to Sydney undoubtedly must do the Harbour ? and judging by the number of tours on offer, I?d say most do! Of all the well-known Sydney landmarks (as opposed to all the hardly-known Melbourne landmarks :P), the Harbour is the most remarkable and attractive. There is no ?best time? to visit ? just get a nice, sunny day and bob?s your uncle. A real treat from Mother Nature.
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Great Op mate..Me, my mate and my brother are going over to Australia for three months in December and plan to spend three weeks over Christmas/New Year based in Sydney. And after telling my mom/dad and sister we were going, they've all decided to join us for our stay in Sydney. Really can't wait to see it all with my own eyes.
mouette 23.10.2003 17:58
16 years since I saw the bridge and its urrounds. Remember it though as if it was yesterday
TeenyB 16.09.2003 23:20
Hi. I was already very jealous that you live in Australia - somewhere I would love to but have yet to visit, but now knowing you have also seen Sydney has made me very green with envy. It sounds wonderful. Great op. Tina xx
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Advantages: It's SYDNEY, y'know the one with the opera house and the bridge? Disadvantages: It's a city that not only sleeps but also stops eating hours before bedtime
zoe_page 26.02.2006 (26.02.2006)
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Review of Sydney (Australia)
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